


Smitten Kitten

by Blizzard_Fire



Series: Brucemas 2020 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Fluff, Humor, Just Add Kittens, M/M, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Boyfriend, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzard_Fire/pseuds/Blizzard_Fire
Summary: Bruce opened the bag – and something small and furry clambered into his lap. Tiny claws dug into his thighs as it blinked up at the bright lab lights with eyes as blue as ice.Bruce stared at it in disbelief. ‘Thor, this is a kitten.’‘It is,’ Thor agreed.Thor gives Bruce a kitten to keep him company whilst he's away at Asgard. But he didn't tell Bruce just how big Asgardian cats can grow...
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Thor
Series: Brucemas 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2020373
Comments: 4
Kudos: 125
Collections: Brucemas 2020





	Smitten Kitten

**Author's Note:**

> Brucemas 2020 Day 3: Bruce/Thor, Hugs
> 
> ThorBruce is my fandom OTP. It's what got me into it in the first place, and it's the softest and sweetest Bruce ship. I saw [this post](https://superblizzardfire.tumblr.com/post/635140288292306944/saganarojanaolt-rens-trash) on Tumblr about kittens being gifted to Viking newlyweds and had to write a fic about it. Funnily enough I wrote [another fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19040464/chapters/45223879) about Bruce adopting a stray cat so a theme is emerging here...

Bruce awoke with a shout and found himself on the bedroom floor.

He lay there in the dark, heart pounding as he struggled to steady his breathing. Night terrors were a common occurrence for him, even after living in Stark Tower for almost a year. Fortunately, he had a warm, cuddly Asgardian god to help him through the tougher nights.

‘Thor?’ He sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in his side. The dawn light cast strange shadows on the walls and for a moment he wasn’t sure if he was still dreaming. ‘Thor, wake up.’ Clumsily, he stood up and pulled the covers back.

The bed was empty.

Of course. With a groan, he sat on the edge of the mattress and took deep breaths. Thor had left for Asgard last week; apparently there had been some political unrest throughout the realms and he was having to play peacekeeper rather than giant-slayer. Bruce hadn’t been sleeping well. At all.

It was 3am, but the thought of trying to sleep again filled him with dread. Instead, he grabbed a book off the shelf and sat by the window, reading by the light of the rising sun.

They’d talked about all this, of course. Bruce understood that Thor would be gone sometimes and often at short notice, and he appreciated that Thor had a life outside of their relationship. But that didn’t make these nights any easier.

When the others remarked on his tired appearance the next morning, he simply said he’d been working in the lab all night.

Two weeks later, Thor strode into the lab wearing damp armour and a smile. ‘Hello honey, I am home!’

Bruce laughed. ‘Did Tony teach you that one?’ He made it two steps towards him before Thor swept him up in a crushing hug. The metal of his armour was cold, even through Bruce’s lab coat. ‘How did the peacekeeping go?’

A hand stroked his hair. ‘Not too well. I was called in to solve some “disputes”, and whilst I relished the challenge I’m afraid Mjolnir and I may be needed again in future. But let’s not talk of that now. How have you been, beloved?’

Whilst Bruce searched for a witty but diverting response, Thor held him out at arm’s length and peered at him. He frowned. ‘You look tired.’

‘Mmm.’ Bruce closed his eyes and leaned against him, feeling some of the tension he’d been carrying melt away.

Thor kissed his forehead, then his cheek, then his lips. ‘Asgard may be my home, but it is here that my heart belongs. I wish I didn’t have to leave.’

‘Well, you’re a prince. Princes have duties.’ He shrugged, stepping away. Thor sported several cuts on his face, and crumbs of ice clung to his cloak. ‘Jotunheim?’

‘Yes. Some of the frost giants were agreeable, others… less so.’ Despite his weariness, there was an excited glimmer in Thor’s eye. ‘I brought you something.’

‘Okay…’ Bruce eyed him suspiciously and noticed the bag slung over his shoulder. ‘It’s not a snake, is it?’ Thor had told him the story about Loki’s childhood shapeshifting, and he knew that Thor had been threatening to get a pet. He wasn’t keen to repeat the legendary “stabbing” incident.

Thor only beamed wider. ‘Maybe you should sit down.’

Heart sinking, he sat down on the couch in the corner of the lab (Tony had installed it for “lab naps”, but sometimes Bruce just slept here to escape the loneliness of his room). ‘I told you I’m not a fan of surprises.’ And not just because of the other guy. Most surprises in Bruce's life tended to be unpleasant.

Thor sat beside him and placed the bag in his lap. It was lighter than he’d expected, and damp with melted snow. ‘I promise it is safe. No tricks or danger.’ He was practically bouncing with excitement. One of the reasons Bruce loved him so much: Thor was basically a thousand-year-old Labrador.

With a smile, Bruce opened the bag – and something small and furry clambered into his lap. Tiny claws dug into his thighs as it blinked up at the bright lab lights with eyes as blue as ice.

Bruce stared at it in disbelief. ‘Thor, this is a kitten.’

‘It is,’ Thor agreed.

The kitten looked up at Bruce and mewed. He couldn’t resist brushing a thumb down its warm back. ‘Can you think of anyone _less_ -suited to take care of a kitten?’ The thought of this defenceless creature anywhere near the Hulk made him shudder.

‘Ah, but this is not your average feline.’ Thor leaned over to tickle it behind the ears. The kitten tried to bat at his fingers. ‘Asgardian cats are much hardier than their Midgardian descendants. They can survive harsh winters, and as adults they’re almost indestructible.’

It looked like an ordinary cat to Bruce: grey and fluffy, with a patch of white on the tip of its tail. After his last dog fell victim to Ross’ soldiers, he’d sworn he’d never have a pet again. But this kitten was ridiculously cute… ‘Where did you find it? Are we going to be visited by frost giants wanting their family pet back?’

Thor chuckled. ‘No, although I did find her on Jotunheim, half-frozen in a cave. Mother helped me nurse her back to health. I thought that – well, you had something in common.’

‘Hey, I’m not _that_ hairy,’ Bruce joked, though he understood what Thor was getting at. Bruce had a soft spot for animals that had had a hard life. And as the kitten rested a paw on his stomach, he saw that one of its front legs was missing. ‘Oh…’ He reached out to stroke its head and the kitten nuzzled her face into his hand. His heart panged.

Thor wrapped an arm around him. ‘I thought you might keep each other company. I’m sorry I’ve been away so much. Do you like her?’ he asked, almost too casually.

‘I… I really do,’ he said honestly, twisting to kiss him firmly on the lips. ‘I just hope she’s as hardy as you say. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her.’

‘Trust me.’ Thor’s face was the picture of happiness. ‘You haven’t known hardy until you’ve met an Asgardian cat.’

Initially, Bruce had thought the kitten would struggle to get around on only three paws, but he needn’t have worried. She sprinted around the place as fast as any other cat, chasing after imaginary prey.

He named her Myrtle. Myrtle followed Bruce everywhere. She refused to use her catbed and every morning Bruce would find her curled up between him and Thor, her tiny body barely denting the pillow. She followed him into the bathroom, climbed up his leg to steal the toast off his plate, and stole his socks to make him chase her. In the lab, she bothered him until he put her in the pocket of his lab coat, after which she promptly fell asleep for hours at a time. Bruce tried to play it cool but after only a couple of weeks he was already in love with her.

If Bruce wasn’t available to play, Myrtle liked to climb up into the hood of Thor’s jacket and chew on the ends of his hair. Thor was always exceedingly gentle, and spoke to her like she was his child. It warmed Bruce’s heart to see him so tender with her.

But all too soon, Thor was summoned back to Asgard.

‘I shouldn’t be gone as long this time,’ said Thor as they walked across the grounds. ‘Look after Myrtle whilst I’m gone.’

‘Yeah,’ said Bruce with a humourless laugh, ‘but who’s gonna look after me?’

Thor looked so sad that he almost felt bad for saying it. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’ He kissed him, long and lingering, until warmth flickered inside him. Then Thor bent down to kiss the furry head peeking out of Bruce’s jacket. ‘Look after him for me,’ he told her, then planted a final kiss on Bruce’s lips. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ He stepped away and raised his hammer to the sky, never breaking his gaze as the Bifrost swept him away in a haze of colour.

Bruce tickled Myrtle’s ears. ‘Sorry, you’ve only got one dad for a little while.’ For the rest of the day he felt down, but at least she was there to provide some distraction. Everything reminded him of Thor: the clumsily-opened box of pop-tarts in the kitchen, the strands of blond hair in the sink, the empty space in the bed…

When he finally slept, he dreamed of death and destruction and regrets from the past. Horrible images haunted him. He thought he’d never escape –

He awoke with a shout, breathing hard. The lights came on at half-brightness, illuminating his sweaty pyjamas and the blankets he’d kicked off. Bruce hid his face in his hands, his throat tight. It had felt so real…

Something warm climbed onto his chest licked at his temple with a rough tongue. Myrtle purred loudly in his ear. As he ran his fingers through her warm, thick fur, some of his anxiety ebbed away. ‘Thanks,’ he murmured.

Myrtle’s eyes seemed to glow in the dark, watching him with quiet intelligence. She blinked slowly at him, a cat’s way of expressing affection.

‘You’re growing up fast,’ he noted, experimentally lifting her up. He’d only had Myrtle for about a month and she seemed to have nearly tripled in size. ‘I guess Asgardian cats grow up faster.’ He tickled the fluff under her chin and settled back down to sleep. Myrtle nestled against his side, purring softly. He didn’t wake again that night.

The Avengers were called to assemble, and it was the first time Bruce had to fight without Thor there. Afterwards, he shivered on a bunk in the Quinjet and wished for the warmth of Thor’s arms. In the early days he’d just had to manage, but Hulk-outs always left him feeling clingy and irritated. Thor was so good at keeping him calm and soothing the aches. The others made attempts to engage with him but he didn’t feel like talking today, and eventually they left him alone.

They were halfway home when something burst out of the luggage compartment.

Everyone straightened up, weapons drawn, as Myrtle took two bounds across the floor and landed on Bruce’s head.

‘What the – how the hell did your cat get in here?’ Clint asked incredulously, as Bruce spluttered at the fur in his mouth.

‘Not my idea,’ said Tony.

Myrtle settled down, lining her body up against Bruce’s. Stretched out, she was nearly two thirds of his height. Bruce immediately felt better. ‘She’s clever. Sometimes a little too clever.’ By now, he’d figured out that Myrtle was smarter than the average cat.

She purred as Natasha stroked her back. ‘She’s getting pretty big, Bruce. How large do these guys get?’

But Bruce was already dozing off. ‘No idea. Must be done growing by now.’

Myrtle trilled softly and rested her big head on his shoulder.

As it turned out, Myrtle was _not_ done growing. Every week she seemed to be a little bigger. Her grey fur grew thicker, and her fluffy neck gave her a regal, lion-like appearance. That didn’t stop her from sitting in her favourite spots: the couch (all three seats of it), the kitchen table (which groaned alarmingly under her weight), and Bruce’s face. Sometimes he’d wake up from nightmares thinking he was being suffocated, but it was only Myrtle trying to help.

And no matter how thoroughly he checked the Quinjet beforehand, after a battle Myrtle would always burst out of a compartment to shower him with affection – although maybe Tony wasn’t looking so hard these days.

A month and a half later, there was still no sign of Thor. And Myrtle still hadn’t stopped growing.

When Bruce awoke at 2am to find Myrtle comfortably taking up half of the bed, he called an old colleague out of desperation.

‘Bruce!’ said Erik Selvig. ‘Wow, it’s been a long time. How have you been?’

Bruce blinked. ‘I didn’t wake you?’

‘No, I’m in Scandanavia, visiting relatives. After everything Loki did, they said some rest would be good for me. What can I help you with?’

Myrtle raised her head and mewed huskily.

‘Well, Thor gave me this cat - an Asgardian one...’

‘Thor? Gave you a cat?’ He sounded surprised. He coughed. ‘In Old Norse culture, that’s a rather intimate demonstration of romantic interest. Things can be lost in translation of course, so you may need to talk - ‘

‘Oh no, we’re already together.’

‘Oh! Well in that case, what’s the problem?’

‘She’s nearly six feet long and I don’t think she’s done growing yet. What’s the upper limit? You’re the Norse mythology expert.’

Selvig laughed. ‘I’m afraid by their very nature, myths are vague. Details are lost to time. I know that Frigga once had a chariot driven by two such cats.’

‘A _chariot?’_ Bruce’s jaw dropped. ‘How big do they get?’

‘Pretty big. Thor should know, have you asked him?’

‘He’s… away right now.’ He sighed. ‘You were the only one I could think to ask.’

‘You’d better stock up on cat food. Maybe the occasional raw meat or fish?’

Bruce already had to brush her three times a week, and each time there was enough fluff to stuff a mattress. Until Thor got back, he wasn’t sure how best to look after her.

‘Bruce… when Thor returns, you should talk it over with him. Cats were a big deal in Viking culture. It’s not a gift to be taken lightly.’

Bruce thanked him for his help and hung up, feeling lost. At least Myrtle hadn’t done anything dangerous. He just hoped he was looking after her properly.

Thor returned nearly two months after he’d left, with news that the frost giants had finally signed the peace treaty.

‘I should not have to leave for some time,’ he said, fondly cupping Bruce's face in his hands. ‘Tell me of your adventures in my absence?’

‘Well, Myrtle is… fine.’ They walked back through the grounds, across the rune-scorched grass. ‘Better than fine, actually.’

In the communal living room, the rest of the Avengers lounged on couches and cushions. Tony and Clint were playing a game on their phones, Steve was reading a book and Natasha was knitting. They were all pleased to see Thor return.

But the most pleased of all was the panther-sized forest cat who bounded up to Thor with a deep meow, butting her head into his hand without needing to stand on her back legs.

‘Myrtle! How you’ve grown.’ Thor knelt down to hug her and his face was obscured by her thick neck fur. ‘She looks so healthy, too!’

‘That’s one way to put it,’ said Natasha with a smirk. On closer examination, the scarf she was knitting was grey and white; she’d spun Myrtle’s grooming fluff into wool so it wouldn’t go to waste.

Without a word, Bruce took Thor’s hand and led him out of the room. Myrtle followed closely behind.

In the elevator, Bruce said, ‘I need to ask you something.’

Thor’s smile faded a little. ‘Of course.’

‘I spoke to Erik Selvig, an old friend of yours. I worked with him a while ago.’

‘Yes…’

‘He said that cats were a significant gift in Viking culture.’ He watched Thor’s face closely but he gave nothing away. ‘So I did some research of my own and…’ He took a deep breath.

Thor took his hands. ‘Yes?’

Bruce's heart was beating fast. ‘Apparently they were given as gifts to newlywed couples.’

Thor laughed softly. ‘They were, yes. I realise it was premature of me, but I thought you needed the company whilst I was away.’

Myrtle wound around their legs like a giant fluffy scarf, purring all the time.

There was a lump in Bruce's throat. ‘You must have known I’d find out eventually?’

‘I knew it was a possibility,’ he agreed.

They stared into each others’ eyes for a moment.

‘Yes,’ said Bruce.

Thor grinned. ‘Yes?’

‘Yes.’ And he curled an arm around Thor’s neck and pulled him down to kiss him.

When the elevator doors opened, Bruce nearly tripped over Myrtle in his hurry to get to their apartment. ‘Does this mean I finally have to meet your parents now?’

‘Oh, mother will love you. And father will listen to her.’ Thor’s breath was warm on the back of his neck, and as he kissed the underside of his jaw Bruce shivered.

They stumbled through the apartment and into the bedroom, where Bruce pushed him down onto the bed. Thor’s eyes flared with need as Bruce straddled him, but that was as far as they got.

A weight knocked into Bruce's back and he fell on top of Thor, groaning at the feeling of heavy paws on his back. ‘Myrtle…’

But Myrtle was too busy licking Thor’s face as he chuckled and tried to squirm away. Bruce was in the middle of this sandwich for as long as Myrtle wanted him to be.

With a sigh of defeat, he let his head rest on Thor’s chest as warm fur stretched over his back like a blanket. ‘I’ve just realised something else.’

‘What?’

‘Loki’s gonna be my brother-in-law.’

Thor laughed. Myrtle purred, and it sounded like the echoing rumble of thunder.


End file.
